Broody hen eats her eggs?

[keds45]

Hello! After doing all I knew to persuade my Australorp hen NOT to be broody, I gave up and gave her 4 fertile eggs (from a farm store) to sit on, which she has--nonstop for 5 days. Today I shooed her off the nest to try to get her to eat/drink and there were only 3eggs there, nothing left of the 4th but some buried shell fragments and damp pine shavings. I think the only possibility is that she ate the egg, shell and all. She is isolated from the other hens so I know she is the culprit. My question is, why did she do this, and is she now going to become a problem egg eater? I hope not, she's a great chicken and a super hard worker! Advice is appreciated!

 

[NonnasBabies]

It seems like they know when an egg is bad. I've had the same thing happen with a broody and have never had one start eating her eggs afterwards!!

 

[keds45]

That's reassuring!